In Another Life
by Jedi Jelsa777
Summary: Based off an idea I've seen mentioned often, taking place just after KH3 final battle, Sora awakens at home. He is the only one that seems to know of the things that happened since that fateful day on Destiny Islands, was it all just a dream?
1. Chapter 1

Prequel

Sora turned to his friends and said "My whole journey began the day I lost her. And every time I find her... she slips away again. I thought we'd finally be together. But she's out there, alone. Not for one more second."

The other two half pints stepped forward with Donald saying "We'll go too!" and Goofy adding "That's right!"

Sora smiled gratefully as he replied, "Thank you, Donald, Goofy. But this time, I have to go it alone."

King Mickey cut in "Sora, listen. The power of waking isn't to go chase hearts around! Even if you do locate Kairi, you might never come home to us again."

Sora smiled softly and said confidently "I will. And we'll both be back before you know it."

Mickey sadly started to add "Please..."

But Riku gently said "Let him go, Mickey."

Mickey, slightly surprised but still sad at the thought of Sora going said "Riku..."

Riku once more cut in "His heart and his mind are made up. Now, believe in him."

Mickey, seeing the wisdom of his young friend finally said "Yeah... Safe journey, Sora."

Sora, knowing how hard it was for his friends to let him go said "Thank you."

Sora turned and raised his Keyblade to the sky, opening a keyhole. He smiled as he disappeared through it.

Chapter 1

"Sora, breakfast!" Sora awoke with a start. "Was it… just a dream?" he said to himself as he looked slowly around his room. Looking at his hands he continued "It felt so real." He got up and dressed before heading downstairs to the kitchen. "Morning sweetie." His mom said, kissing him on the forehead as she handed him a plate with some bacon and eggs on it. It looked good, but not as good as what Little Chef had whipped up.

He shook his head and said "Huh?" His mom smiled at him and said "I asked you how you slept?" "Oh, good." ""Glad to hear it. Take that to the breakfast table and I will join you in a minute." Sora nodded, heading in the direction she had pointed as he tried to keep track of all the thoughts in his head. Like why this place felt familiar but not at the same time? Had he really just dreamed of being a Keyblade wielder? Were any of his friends real, or just the creations of a dream?

He and his mom sat in almost complete silence as they ate their breakfast, Sora not daring to ask his mom if any of it was real or not. Maybe this was a dream, like the one Riku had rescued him from when he failed his Mark of Mastery test. Before he knew it, breakfast was over and his Mom was saying "You better hurry, or you'll be late for school."

Sora started, he hadn't been to school since he left the Destiney Islands that fateful date what felt a lifetime ago. "I'm glad to see you got dressed in your school uniform, I know it will take some getting used to." His mother said, a twinkle in her eyes, "Grab your bag and go, it's never good to be late on the first day." "Right, bye Mom!" Sora said, grabbing the bag she indicated as he headed for the door. "Goodbye honey, I hope you make some friends."

XXX

As Sora entered the halls he could hear the gossip flowing through the halls, most of which seemed to revolve around him. They tried to be inconspicuous, but Sora overheard many of them, one of which especially made him doubt his Keyblade adventures being real even more. "Look, isn't that the kid that they say has been confined to his bed most of his life?" one girl whispered to another, to which the other replied "Yeah, he was in a coma this summer and when he awoke they say he had somehow recovered from whatever was wrong with him."

"I hear they enrolled him here just to keep him somewhat out of the public eye." Another group of kids were telling his story, adding that new detail to what he had already learned. Was it really possible? Maybe all his "adventures" had taken place while he was in a coma, ending in that dream he had last night. The bell rang and the kids all scattered, leaving Sora practically alone in the hallways.

The only other person there, was a kid, who looked to be around his age, dressed in a black hoodie and blue jeans, with silver hair and blue green eyes. He looked like the type that liked to act tough, and may even be tough, but usually they don't mind helping out. That fact was proven a moment later when he asked "Need any help?" "Uh, yeah, this is my first day here, I'm not really sure where to go." Sora replied, rubbing the back of his head.

"I'll take you to the office to get your stuff all situated and then take you to your first class, I've got a free period right now. The name's Riku, how about yours?" the boy said, holding out a hand. Sora was stunned for second, before stuttering out his own name. "Ah right, the Miracle Boy." Riku said as he led him down a hall. "Miracle Boy?" Sora questioned.

"Better get used to that nickname, you're the talk of the town. Nobody can keep quiet about how you went into a coma and came out of it healed of whatever was keeping you practically bed bound." Riku supplied the information, most of which Sora had already gleaned from overhearing others talking, but he still couldn't fathom how this was really his life. The other life had felt so… real.

XXX

Later that day, as school was letting out, Sora exited the building by Riku's side. The two had become fast friends, the older one seeing the other as a younger brother that needed someone to keep an eye on him. Riku couldn't help but think that Sora's time in bed had kept the younger boy somewhat unwise to the ways of the world, especially since he had barely kept him from walking into the girls' bathroom. He felt Sora give a start beside him and he turned his head towards the younger boy as he asked "What's up?"

"Who is that? She looks familiar, but I didn't see her in school today." Sora questioned. Riku followed Sora's pointing finger, he would really need to have a talk to him about pointing not being polite, and spotted the red haired girl that held Sora's attention captive. "Oh that's Kairi. She lives with her grandmother in the house just across the street from yours. Her grandmother homeschools her, like you used to be, so you wouldn't have seen her in school." Riku answered him.

Sora nodded, remembering Kairi from his dream. "But what if it wasn't a dream? What if this another trap by Organization 13 or something?" he thought to himself. Riku interrupted his thoughts, saying "Come on Sora, I'll walk you home and help you with your homework." Sora turned away from Kairi and nodded as he said "Okay." As the two boys walked off, they didn't notice someone watching them from the shadows. Someone with a smirk on his face.


	2. Chapter 2

Sora quickly fell into a routine with his new friend Riku. They would walk to school in the morning together, go their separate ways for classes, meet for lunch, have a couple of classes together and then they would walk home. He only saw Kairi one other time that first week and just like the first time, it made him question which was real, the worlds that he had visited that were starting to feel like a dream? Or this one where he had no memories from before waking up?

The doctor said that the loss of memories of his life before while unexpected wasn't necessarily a bad thing, after all who wants to remember being so sick that he was bed bound? But Sora did, he didn't want to keep thinking that it was possible that this was all an illusion, it would be nice to know for sure. He couldn't tell anyone about it, they would just think he was crazy. Even though he was a sort of celebrity, the only friend he had really made so far was Riku and he didn't want to chance losing that friendship by "talking crazy".

Most days he was starting to accept that he had always been here, that his life of wielding a Keyblade was just a dream, a fantastic dream, but still just a dream. But even just the thought of Kairi would make him start the questioning process all over again. He let out a sigh, which Riku misinterpreted, replying "Yeah, I'm glad school is done for the week too. Just think, soon it will be time for summer vacation!" Sora just nodded, not wanting to correct his friend on the reason behind his sigh.

"You're awful quiet today, what's up?" Riku questioned his friend. "Just… tired I guess." Sora said softly. "Hmm well I guess you should go home and rest, too bad, I was going to suggest we go to the beach." Riku said, putting his hands behind his head. "The beach?" Sora questioned, perking up a bit, just as Riku knew he would. Riku smirked and said "Yeah, it wouldn't take long to walk there, if your mom is cool with it and all, and it would be refreshing to sit on the sand after a long week of school."

"Okay, I'm in!" Sora said, his mind wandering to Destiny Islands for a minute. So the two boys hurried to Sora's house where they got his mother's permission to go to the beach, then they rushed to Riku's home where he also got permission to go. Then Riku led Sora to the beach, both having changed into swimsuits at their homes. The beach was relatively empty, the tourist season wouldn't be for a while now and most of the locals found it too cold to go to the beach just yet, but there were several other kids from school that Sora recognized.

Riku raced Sora to the water, beating out the younger boy by just a little. They found the water still a little too cold to swim right out in, but splashing each other was refreshing so they started a water fight, Riku calling to their classmates to come join them. As Sora splashed a kid called Titus, who reminded him of his dreams that took place on Destiny Islands, he saw the red hair of Kairi as she sat down on the beach and watched.

"Come on Kairi, come join us!" Sora shouted. Kairi seemed surprised at the offer, but smiled and nodded her agreement, rushing to Sora's side. Sora decided to team up with her against the others and soon everyone was forming teams. That game, and many others, kept up until the sun started to set. One by one Sora's classmates left until it was just him, Riku and Kairi. "We should do something fun this summer." Said Riku.

Sora nodded his agreement and saw Kairi looking shyly at them both, not sure if Riku was including her, so he added, "Yeah we should, don't you agree Kairi?" Kairi looked surprise, but then smiled and said "Yes, we should. What about going out to the islands?" Sora was startled to hear there were islands and even more so when Riku nodded and said "Yeah, that would be fun! We could make a raft to take us there." Sora sat back and let the others make the plans. To himself he thought, "It so bizarre, so similar to my dreams and yet not."

XXX

In the distance, someone dressed in black watched the trio. He smiled and said to no one in particular, "All is going according to plan."

**PrincessKairi20: I don't want to say for sure they will be a couple, because I usually suck at moving from friendship to relationship in my stories, but know that I agree that they make a cute couple and I keep waiting for it to be more obvious in the games.**


	3. Chapter 3

School ended for the year, Sora's grades being pretty good considering he had come in late in the year. Riku, Sora and Kairi started hanging out down at the beach every day, gathering the supplies to make a raft. No one disturbed the pile they had collected, in fact someone had added to it. Of course they may have thought it was just any old pile of driftwood considering some of the pieces were pretty much useless for them, but still it was a start. Two weeks of working on finding the things they needed and they were finally able to start building it.

Within a few days, the three friends had finished it. "It looks great! What should we call it?" asked Kairi. "Why don't we all suggest a name and we pick the one we like best?" suggested Sora. "Or we could fight for it!" Riku said, picking up a stick that had been too small for their cause and brandishing it playfully at his two friends. Sora and Kairi looked at each other and then nodded before Sora said "Okay, you're on!"

They also grabbed sticks and they all stood so they were semi facing their other two opponents. Riku swung first aiming for Kairi, while both Sora and Kairi went after him. Laughter was heard across the beach as their battle ensued, none landing a direct hit on their opponent which they had decided after seeing how well matched they were that that would be the sign that you were out. Both Riku and Kairi were surprised at how well Sora was holding up. Both had been on the fencing team for their school at one point or another, and while Sora had joined as a backup member there had never been any need for him, so they had never seen him practice or anything. Both had thought he would be the first one out, and relatively fast at that, but he was still in the fray.

Both of them nodded at each other and started pitting their attacks on Sora alone. Sora realized this and smirked inwardly, they saw him as a threat! Putting everything from his dream into play, he shortly managed to strike them both, ending the match and winning the chance to name the ref, much to the shock of his two friends. Riku was the first to recover and smile in place said "Well done Sora, so what are you going to call it?"

Sora looked thoughtful for a second before smiling and saying "The Destiny Trio!" Kairi and Riku shared a look, then smiled, turning to Sora as Kairi said "Sounds perfect. Well shall we set sail today? We might be able to make the islands by nightfall." Riku shook his head and said "We don't have any supplies, nor have we, or at least I haven't, told our families where we want to go. We should go and get permission to leave for like a week and then gather outside Sora's house to go get supplies."

The other two agreed to this and all three rushed home. "Mom, can I go on a sailing trip with Riku and Kairi to the islands? Riku said we should ask to stay out there for a week." Sora's mom hesitated. Her mind instantly started to come up with reasons why this wasn't a good idea, like what if whatever had made him bed bound came back? What if there was a storm while they were on the water? But then she looked at Sora's excited face, the face that was showing how happy he was to finally able to do things with his friends and she couldn't deny him this request.

"Okay, but you must listen to Riku, he has been out on the waters many times with his father and knows what to do if bad weather happens. If it storms or looks like it is going to storm the day you are to return home, stay put on the island. Take extra supplies just in case. But above fun, have fun Sora. I know the islands you speak of and they are a wonderful and fun place to visit." She said, smiling as he started bouncing up and down, much like a younger kid would.

"Thanks Mom! We're going to meet outside for a supply hunt, we want to leave tomorrow, is that okay?" His mother nodded and said "Yes, unless it's storming of course." Sora gave her a kiss on the cheek and said "Thanks mom, got to go and see if the others are here yet!" As he was about to run out of the house, his mother called his name, causing him to pause and look at her. "Don't forget to take some money with you for the supplies, you should have plenty from all those years you've been saving your birthday money in your piggy banks." She suggested.

Sora rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment as he said "Oh right." before changing directions to go to his room to get the money, leaving his mother chuckling at his antics. It wasn't long before he was running by her and out the door, where Kairi and Riku were already gathered. "Hurry up slow poke, both Kairi and I got permission and we've been waiting on you." "Sorry I got so excited that I almost ran out without my money." Sora said with a grin.

"Come on you two, let's go!" Kairi said, grabbing both boys by the hand before pulling on them gently to get them moving down the sidewalk. The boys followed her, all three running to the store laughing and talking about what they should bring. So excited where they that none of them noticed the man in the black cloak watching them from under some trees, seeming to nod, as if he approved of their journey.

**Well if you have any ideas that you want added to this story, let me hear them and I might add them. I'm not planning on dragging this out much longer, but if I see something I really like I might extend this further than planned. Any guess as to who the man in black is? I won't be revealing who he is until the last chapter more than likely, but I would love to see who you think it is :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Woohoo, I got this done extra early and couldn't wait to get it out to you guys, so you get it early too :D**

The next morning, as the sun was rising, the three met on the beach where they had left their raft, supplies in hand. Following Riku's instructions, Sora and Kairi helped him make sure the supplies were strapped on tight and made as waterproof as possible. Once all was in order, they pushed off and, with a nice breeze to their backs, they started on their way to the island under wind power. As the three relaxed on the raft, their beach sinking from view, Riku said to Sora "You surprise me Sora." Kairi nodded her agreement as Sora said "Huh?"

"When we were fighting to name the raft, I thought I was going to have to go easy on you, but you not only held your own but you beat me fair and square." Riku explained. "Yeah, I didn't know you had it in you Sora. Where did you learn to fight like that?" Kairi asked. Sora blushed and said "You'll laugh if I tell you." "No we won't." Riku said, with Kairi adding "We promise we won't." Sora looked down at the wood of the raft, debating on whether or not to tell them.

What if they didn't believe him? They would think he was weird, maybe even tease him the whole time they were at the island, or even worse yet they might turn the raft around and head back. Maybe they would even stop being his friends! But what if they did believe him? What if they could help him figure out if they were just dreams or some kind of weird memory? Finally he nodded and said "Okay, I'll tell you."

The two scooted closer as he asked, "Remember how I have no memory from before I woke up that day?" They both nodded, not really sure where he was going with this. "Well that's not really true, or maybe it is, I don't know. The memories I do have may have just been dreams, but either way it is where I learned to fight." Sora said, before telling them everything he remembered of his dreams, ending with those last few moments that happened, or seemed to happen, right before he woke up.

He didn't dare to look up, not wanting to see what their expressions would tell him. If he had he would have seen Kairi and Riku share a look before Kairi slowly starts with "Sora, I don't know why, but I do believe you and that those are memories." Sora looked up in shock as he asked "Really?" Kairi nodded as Riku cut in, "In a weird way it all makes sense, though I'm not sure why." The rest of the trip was made with them trying to figure out why Sora had those memories, like did they belong to someone else and somehow get swapped with his, but nothing ever seemed quite right.

XXX

Their days at the islands passed in fun, thoughts of Sora's predicament didn't seem to be on anyone's mind, that is until the fourth night. As they sat around a fire, making S'mores, Riku said "I think I know how we can tell for sure if those are Sora's memories." Kairi and Sora stared at him in shock, both for him having thought of something like that and for bringing it up seemingly out of the blue. Kairi was the first to recover and ask "What is it Riku?" "Well he says he fights with a weapon called a Keyblade right? So why don't we see if we can get it to appear?"

Sora looked at his hand as he said "I've tried doing what I did in the dreams, but nothing happens." "Maybe we need to recreate a battle type element of surprise. Starting tomorrow, Kairi and I will start jumping out of the bushes, etc to scare your instincts into helping out." Riku said, as he leaned back against a log that was behind him. Sora smiled and said "Ok, whatever we can do to make it work!"

XXX

Two days of his friends jumping out of him and it didn't look like Riku's plan would work. It was the day they were supposed to depart from the island, but a storm was brewing, so Riku said they should stay put. "I'll go looking for firewood." Sora said, as the other two worked on getting their remaining supplies tucked away and the beaching the raft as far from the water as they could. As Sora walked through the woods, he felt like someone was watching him. "I bet one of them is going to jump out at me, but why are they wasting time when there is so much to do and so little time?" he thought to himself.

Suddenly, something was swung at his head and only his instincts saved him. He didn't summon the Keyblade, but rather ducked. Turning to the source, he saw a man dressed all in black, with a hood over his head, much like the Organization members. Unlike the members, however, this man held a Keyblade. After giving Sora a second to study him, the man attacked once more, staying silent as he did so. Sora kept dodging but finally the man landed a strike, knocking Sora to the ground. Instead of continuing his attack, the man waited for Sora to stand up again.

The man then came at him again, only this time another instinct kicked in. Sora blocked the attack with his hastily summoned Keyblade, before hopping back, but there was no need. The man did not continue his attack. "Who are you?" Sora demanded. The man didn't answer, but rather said "Congratulations Sora, you did it! Give yourself a round of applause! Now, it's time for you to go home like a good little boy." "Not until you tell me who you are!" Sora proclaimed.

"Fine, have it your way. I'm who they call Master of Masters, though some call me Mom for short." The man said, slumping forward briefly before standing, almost heroically. Sora was about to question him more, when the Master of Masters said "You know Sora, you really need to be more careful with that waking power. You almost wiped yourself out of existence! Good thing for you the version of you from this alternate timeline let you take up residence for a while, worked out pretty good for him too, now he isn't on bedrest anymore."

"What do you mean alternate timeline?" Sora questioned. "This, it could have been you, except never getting out of bed, but for the single choice made by one person in the past. Funny how something that seems so microscopic can cause such a wave in the future, isn't it?" Master of Masters answered, "Anyways, now that you've remembered how to recall the Keyblade, you can go home now!" "Really!?" Sora said, getting excited, before calming down and turning back to the beach where copies of Riku and Kairi were standing.

"Being here isn't so bad, I still have Kairi and Riku for friends and life is so normal, sometimes I forget what normal is these days." He thought to himself, but either he also said it out loud or the Master of Masters could read minds as he replied, "This version of you is suspended and will remain so until you go home, do you really think it's fair to keep him from his friends, your friends? Don't forget you have lots of others waiting for you, some who wouldn't exist without you, like Roxas."

"How do you know so much about me?" Sora demanded, earning a laugh from the man who simply said "Let's just say I've been keeping my eye on you. Besides, it was a lot of work to get you to remember what you did, I had to put Kairi and Riku in your path, I had to help you summon the Keyblade, geesh show some gratitude." Sora looked down, looked back towards the beach, before asking "What will happen to them? Will they remember what I told them?" "No, they will only remember this Sora being the Miracle Boy who finally was able to get out of bed, he'll have all his memories from before and some of yours from after, minus the ones where you were confused, etc, etc."

Sora gazed longinly for one more minute, before turning back and saying "Okay, I'm ready." "Great, away you go!" Master of Masters said, and with a bright flash, Sora had left that world, replaced by the Miracle Boy Sora, who after a moment of confusion, started picking up wood to be used for the campfire.

XXX

Everyone was having fun on the beach, playing games, making sand sculptures or just looking for shells. Kairi and Sora sat in a tree, before Sora started to fade and then altogether vanished. But then suddenly, with a bright flash, he was right back beside her. "Sora!" Kairi exclaimed, hugging him. "I'm home!" Sora said, returning her hug.

XXX

When Miracle Boy Sora got back home he went up to his room, caring a seashell that he had found on the island right before leaving. Opening a box that held things that were special to him, he carefully set it on the floor beside him, before pulling everything out. When it was done he was surrounded by many dolls, all that he had made himself during those countless hours when he was in bed, ones that he had made stories up for of adventures he would go on and people he would meet. Looking at them, he smiled as he thought how odd it was he had found a real Kairi and Riku and he wondered how many of his other "friends" were really out there and if they would ever meet.

**And we're done :D So I'm not sure how many of you have ever seen that picture where Sora was surrounded, while lying in bed, with all these dolls of Axel, Roxas, Kairi, Riku, etc and every time I saw it they were like what if Kingdom Hearts is all the adventures Sora would love to go on but can't, so he makes dolls and these stories up to occupy his time, etc (or some variation of that wording anyways) and so I thought I would tackle it and give it my own spin :D**

**Miss Securis: You don't know how much I wanted to tell you that you were correct when you said you thought it could be M.O.M. good job on the guesswork! I hope I captured him right, sometimes he didn't feel like I got him, he is such a quirky character, but I think I managed to capture him correctly most of the time. Thanks again for the review and for the awesome messages you sent me!**


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